Bathing trunks with waterproof pocket



March 13, 1951 F. KOWATSCH BATHING TRUNKS WITH WATERPROOF POCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1949 r97 TOR/VEYS March 13, 1951 F. KOWATSCH 2,544,840

BATHING TRUNKS WITH WATERPROOF POCKET Filed March 8, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (O 1/ I NVENTOR,

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 OFFICE BATHING TRUNKS WITH WATERPROOF POCKET Ferdinand Kowatsch, Chicago, 111.

Application March 8, 1949, Serial No. 80,217

This invention relates to bathing suits and more particularly to a pair of bathing trunks having a waterproof pocket for carrying articles in the water in a manner to preserve the articles dry while the trunks are being worn in the water.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pair of bathing trunks having a waterproof pocket for carrying articles, as keys, money, and other small devices while the trunks are being worn in the water. The pocket is. so disposed and arranged on the trunks that the trunks may be folded and carried within the pocket. The pocket is foldable outwardly from within the trunks whereby the bathing suit may be gathered and folded into the pocket, which then provides a convenient carrying bag for the wet bathin suit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bathing suit of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter, having a waterproof pocket which is reversible from within the bathing suit to provide a carrying bag for the wet suit, the pocket having a waterproof, rubberized, closure member including a slider provided with a handle on the opposite sides thereof for moving the slider from without the pocket in either position of the pocket relative to the bathing suit. The pocket is further provided with inner and outer overlying flaps for securely sealing the closure member in the closed position.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of bathing trunks having a waterproof pocket, constructed according to an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse section, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the pocket with the outer flaps extended showing the interengaging fastening members in the closed position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the garment receiving pocket, the pocket being opened to provide for the folding of the garment therethrough.

Figure 5 is a transverse section, showing the pocket with the garment folded therein, the closure being folded rearwardly along the opposite edges of the open end of the pocket.

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-67) Figure 6 is a transverse section of the pocket with the garment folded therein, the closure being shown in its closed position.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detailed section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the pocket with the garment folded therein, the closure being closed and the outermost flaps being extended.

Figure 9 is a fragmentaryperspective view of the closure end of the pocket, the closure mem bers being engaged and the outermost flaps being folded into sealing position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally a pair of bathing trunks, or bathing suit, having a pocket opening H on one side thereof. A pocket I2 is adapted to be carried by the bathing suit l0 and is formed with an open end secured to the bathing suit [0 on the opposite edges of the opening II. The bath- .ing suit I0 may be formed of any suitable fabric and the pocket member I2 is' formed of a waterproof, rubberized fabric for keeping articles within the pocket I2 dry during the use of the bathing suit.

A pair of tapes I and ii are fixed to the opposite edges of the open ends of the pocket I2, and a plurality of cooperating, interengaging fastener elements l6 and [1 are fixed to the confronting edges of the tapes l4 and 15. A slider element I8 slidably engages on opposite sides of the confronting, adjacent fastening elements l6 and I1 for moving the fastening elements into interengaging relation with one another upon movement of the slider element in one direction, and for separating the fastening elements upon movement of the slider element in the opposite direction.

A pair of overlying flaps l9 and 20 are fixed to the open end of the pocket I 2, below the tapes l4 and I5 respectively, being fastened between the tapes and the edge of the pocket l2. A second pair of overlying flaps 2| and 22 are se cured to the confronting, adjacent edges of the tapes l4 and I5, respectively, and the flaps 2| and 22 are secured between the tapes [4 and the inner side of the bathing suit 10. V

The pocket 12 is free from engagement with the bathing suit [0 at all points except along the adjacent edges of the opening Hand the underlying edges of the upper open end of the pocket l2. In this manner the pocket l2 may be folded through the opening H from a position B being worn, to a position on th opposite side of the opening II for receiving the bathing suit to be folded and positioned within the pocket.

In the normal use of the bathing suit In the pocket 12 is disposed within the bathing suit, between the fabric of the garment and the body of the wearer. With the fastening elements I6 and H engaged in their closing relation, the outermost flaps 21 and 22. will substantially seal the opening between the fastening elements I 6 and I! to provide for the waterproof closing of the pocket. The innermost flaps l9 and 20 will also overlie the rear side of the-fastening elements t and [1 to provide a further waterproof seal for the upper open end of the pocket. With the fastening elements [6 and I1 engaged in their closed position, normally the flaps Zi. and 22 will flatly overlie the fastening elements and the slider l8 to provide for the waterproof closing'of the.

be folded withinxthe open end of the pocket 12.

In this position, the fastening elements and flaps will be folded rearwardly along the length of the pocket 62 and for closing the open: end' of the pocket the flaps and fastening element .;must be folded from the position shown-in Figure 5 to the engaging position shown in Figure? 6.- At this 'timethe pocket l2 forms a waterproof carrying bag for the bathing suit and the interengaging fastening elements It and H, which had formed the closure for the pocket now form the closure for the carrying bag. As the pocket has'been folded inside out and the bathing'suit' has been folded into the pocket, the outer side of the tapes now becomes the inner side and the flaps l9 and 28 which before were the inside flaps now become the outer fiap's to provide the waterproof seal for the carrying bag. i

The conventional form of slider elements l8 are provided with a single handle or finger gripping member for moving the slider along the length of the fastening element' In an embodiment of this invention, as the fastening members are reversed in the operation of the device, a pair of finger gripping handle elements 24 and 25 are provided on the opposite sides of the slider 'I B, so that a suitable finger grip will-be provided for the slider in both positions of the pocket. The handle elements 24 and 25 may be suitably supported onfthe slider 48 in a manner whereby 3 lug or arm 26 "and?! is formed on the endof the'handles 24 and 25 respectively which is pivoted "on the slider element so that the lugs 26 and ZT-may engage between adjacent fastening elements for holding the slider element-against sliding inadvertently, when the handles 24 and 25 are folded to their retracted position, overlyingthe cooperating fastening elements. As the-fastening elements are turned'inslde out uponchanging the pocket [2 from a pocket to a carrying case, the provision of a handle 24 and 25 on the opposite sides of the slider element I 8 provide for the ready access to the slider element [8 for moving it in either of its folded positions.

In the use and operation of the bathing trunks or garment provided with a pocket formed and disposed in this manner, a substantially convertible. type of garment is provided, the pocket I2 providing a suitable, waterproof container for articles while the suit is being worn as such and then providing a suitable carrying case for the garment.

The fabric on which the Zipper cleats are mounted and the inner and outer flaps for the pocket are preferably rubberized to suitably ex- ,clude water from the pocket when the fasteners are closed.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim :all; variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a bathing suit provided with a slit, a pocket disposed adjacent to the inner side of the bathing suit and slit and having its top open and arranged in registration with the slit, a first pair of free overlapping flaps disposed adjacent to the inner side of the bathing suit between the pocket and bathing suit and extending over the slit of the 'edges of the tapes forinterlocking engagement,

a slider for the slide fastener elements, separate handles pivotally secured tothe innerand outer sides of the slider, and a second pair of overlapping flaps disposed adjacent to the inner sides of the slide fastener tapes and arranged between such tapes and the pocket, the overlapping poi"- tions of the first and second pair's of flaps covering the'slide fastener elements when they are in interfitt'ing engagement and the top end of the pocket, first and second pairs of flaps and slide fastener tapes being secured to the bathing suit at the opposite sides of the slit, thepocket depending from the slit and being free from connection with the bathing suit below the slit, each overlapping flap of the first and second pairs of flaps being unitary and formed of a single layer only of flexible sheet material.

FERDINAND KOWATSCH.

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 1,603,299 Stroeken Oct. 19,1926 1,714,365 Harris May-21, 1929 1,797,208 Weisz- ;;Mar. 17, 1931 1,920,061 Carr July'l'25, 1933 Koch Feb. 21-, 1939 

